Totleigh Barton

Writing Pod at Totleigh Barton

I'm just back from an inspiring few days at Arvon's Totleigh Barton and feel so lucky to have been tutored by Liz Berry and Ian Duhig. It was a tutored poetry retreat which suited me beautifully as I'm not so good at workshops when you have to write really quickly. The time was my own, to work on my poems, except for one tutorial a day. My room was next to the  poetry library, so I had a wonderful time reading, as well as writing.

I'm putting a pamphlet together and was stuck on title and themes. This retreat sorted it all out. The success of these courses is also very dependent on the people involved. This was an amazing group of about 16 and we seemed to get on from the moment we arrived. The tutors were so generous with their time, joined in with everything, gave us so much invaluable help with our work, and we all had a lot of laughs together.

The weather was beautiful, autumn at its most stunning, and Totleigh Barton was magical.

I'm sad it's over but also have lots of ideas for my poems that I want to get started on.

The first weekend of November is the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival and I seem to have booked tickets to a huge amount of events. I love this poetry festival. Aldeburgh is a lovely seaside town, with a fascinating musical history, and I'm looking forward to it. But for now, I want to hang on to my memories of Totleigh Barton.

The Cinema Museum

Last week I was in London for the launch of Magma 71 at The Cinema Museum. It's an amazing place and was the workhouse where Charlie Chaplin went as a child. There was no time to explore the museum but I'll certainly go back there. The launch of Magma 71 was wonderful and included film poems, and 4 films responding to the same poem by Carrie Etter. I was lucky enough to have my poem 'Running from The Magnificent Seven with a Love Heart' in this issue so was able to read it, despite an argument with the microphone. I have no idea how to speak into a microphone and need to go and get some practise, as I found it fairly daunting. Luckily the atmosphere was brilliant and I loved the evening.

With England having a heatwave, I feel happy to be in Sintra where it is much cooler than usual. The mornings are misty and when the sun breaks through the temperature only reaches about 22 degrees.

The family start arriving this weekend and poetry, although it carries on in my head, gets put aside for a few weeks. I have so many wonderful books on my bedside table to dip into at night. I'm still returning to Sarah Corbett's 'A Perfect Mirror' and 'To Sweeten Bitter' by Raymond Antrobus. I've also gone back to Miriam Nash's wonderful collection 'All the Prayers in the House' as I've signed up for an Arvon tutored retreat in October where Miriam will be the guest tutor. I'm looking forward to going as I need the time and space to work on my pamphlet. 

Meanwhile there are two books winging their way to me in the post: Robert Peake's Cyclone and Richard McCaffery's Passport. Can't wait!

Just a little break ...

Too long a break! I was fed up with not being able to get into my blog, and then, having sorted it out, I kind of lost the impetus to carry on. Anyway, somehow today, the spirit moved me. 

I was very happy to have a poem published in The Paper Swans Press Pocket Poetry Book of Love & also one in PPB of Weddings (see photo). Another poem is coming out in Magma's next issue on cinema and I'm going to be in London next week for the launch so I'll be reading at The Cinema Museum.

I've been concentrating on my pamphlet and love working on it. The poems move around, some are taken out, new ones put in, so it is fairly organic, but I now feel it is as complete as it will ever be. I just need to find it a home.

I've read some wonderful poetry over the past few months. Sarah Corbett's The Perfect Mirror is a beautiful collection and I find myself reading it again and again. She was my tutor at Lancaster and I know how lucky I am to have been taught by her. Raymond Antrobus' To Sweeten Bitter is another book that has really impressed me and I keep going back to it. On days when I find it hard to write, I just have to dip into a poetry book and be inspired by what I find inside. 

Blogger problems

I've had problems getting back into this blog. Somehow I was locked out and I'm not sure if it's working properly yet. This is a trial to see what's going on. When I sign out I'm finding it hard to get back in, so maybe it's time to try a new blog site.

Tirimbina Suspension Bridge

Costa Rica was quite an adventure and has led to my writing a sequence of 5 poems helped by my online clinic with Bill Greenwell. The swing bridge in the photo is the longest in CR and terrified me. The poems are loosely based on 'fear' as I also had to cope with Howler Monkeys who roar like lions and swing through the canopy, trading insults with rival groups of howlers. We also arrived on the day of an earthquake and my bed shook all night!

I had a poem (Kissing Gate) published in Paper Swans Press 'Love' pamphlet in February, which was a very happy start to the year.  

I'm going to sign off now and see if I can get back in again. If not, I shall start a new blog elsewhere :-(